Still Water Carmel 12/09

I took a new diver out Sunday.  This was his second time in the ocean, his first was an ab dive on the headlands Thanksgiving weekend.  With little instruction he was diving 30 feet for 30 seconds so we grabbed the spear guns and started fishing.  Vis was 30+ feet, the water was 57 degrees.  We dove the wash rocks for a while.  He got a perch and missed on a few blues.  I decided to move over to the cliff but when we got there the water was nasty.  We went around the point but it was too deep for him and there were no fish in the water column.  The shallow water was too rough so we went back to the wash rocks but decided to check the other end.  I got in and found a nice school of blues for him to shoot and as he was hunting in the water column I found a ling.  It looked small so I called him over and told him to look but not to shoot it.  He dove down and it had gone.  He went back to the school and I went back to scouting around.  I found the ling again and he spooked into a crack so I called the new guy over again.  He dove down and again the ling had spooked but this time I saw where he went so I told the new guy to watch me.  I dove down and pointed to the ling and when he spooked again and swam away I followed him.   As I followed him another bigger ling swam right in front of me.  This one was legal!  I told him to go shoot it and that it was in the hole and pointed to it.  He was so excited he just dove and by the time he got to the hole he needed air.  Then he would dive and go the wrong direction, which he did several times.  I would dive down and point to the hole and he would dive down and end up somewhere else.  I think he closes his eyes during his decent.  Finally I shot the fish, afraid that it was going to take off and we'd never see it again.  The final tally was:
1-perch
1-blue
1-black and yelow
1-24" ling

I let him keep the ling and he's hooked.

Good karma for you to show the rope to newbie diver.  Thank you for the diving report Joshua.

Nice!!!!!!!

Josh, it is so cool how you are able to get new divers diving so well so qucikly!!!

WTG dude!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Nice!!!!!!!

Josh, it is so cool how you are able to get new divers diving so well so qucikly!!!

WTG dude!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

It doesn't always happen like that, belive me.  Lawdog was on the swim team in college and this guy went to a couple freedive clinics at his local dive shop and studdied youtube for months.  The clinics were put on by a scuba instructor so I just tweaked him a little really. 

Nice!!!!!!!

Josh, it is so cool how you are able to get new divers diving so well so qucikly!!!

WTG dude!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

It doesn't always happen like that, belive me.  Lawdog was on the swim team in college and this guy went to a couple freedive clinics at his local dive shop and studdied youtube for months.  The clinics were put on by a scuba instructor so I just tweaked him a little really.

LOL! So that's Lawdogs secret!   

Anyway, I am always impressed with your willingness to help new guys out and taking the time and effort to make sure they are safe and have fun.

 

It was funny when you texted me Saturday night and asked if I wanted to go Sunday and I was still down there in the dark!   

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I was down there last weekend too, dove butterfly on Saturday and stillwater on Sunday. Diving was amazing and I speared a 24" ling and bunch of medium sized rockfish. Still I saw some other guys at stillwater hauling out huge scores of lings and black perch that put me to shame. With 40' viz I can't wait to get back in. Maybe I could get some help finding lings with you pros. Lol. Great vid, Cheers.